Func tional Food Dairy Probiotics A Best Source of Functional Foods

Dairy Probiotics A Best Source of Functional Foods

Probiotics, often called ‘good’ or ‘helpful’ bacteria, are defined as the living microorganisms administered in a sufficient number to survive in the intestinal ecosystem. They must have a positive effect on the host. The term probiotic was first used in 1965 to describe the substances secreted by one microorganism that stimulate the growth of another. A powerful evolution of this definition was coined in 1974, it proposed that probiotics are organisms and substances which contribute to intestinal microbial balance. In 1998 probiotics were defined as the food which contains live bacteria beneficial to health”, whereas in 2001 it was defined as microbial cell preparations or components of microbial cells that have a beneficial effect on the health and well-being.

The term ‘functional food’ itself was first used in Japan, in the 1980s, for food products fortified with special constituents that possess advantageous physiological effects. Functional foods may improve the general conditions of the body (e.g. pre and probiotics), decrease the risk of some diseases (e.g. cholesterol-lowering products), and could even be used for curing some illnesses. Functional foods are those that contain 1 or more compound that provide important or limited functions in the organism, promoting welfare and health, or for reduction in the risk and protection of hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and heart diseases.

Probiotics are defined as “live microbial feed supplements which beneficially affect the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance” It is estimated that over 400 species of bacteria, separated into two broad categories, habitat in the human gastrointestinal tract. The categories are B. fidobacterium and Lactobacillus Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yoghurt, soy yoghurt, or as dietary supplements.

Probiotic dairy products The most common probiotic dairy products

worldwide are various types of yoghurt, other fermented dairy product, various lactic acid bacteria drinks and mixture of probiotic (fermented) milks and fruit juice. Probiotic cheese, both fresh and ripened, have also been launched recently.

Fermented milks and beverages

Fermented milks and beverages make up an important contribution to the human diet in many countries because fermentation is an inexpensive technology, which preserves the food, improves its nutritional value and enhances its sensory properties. Fermented beverages are the most traditional and consumed probiotics media for dairy and non-dairy products. Fermentation is usually an inexpensive process, requires a low-cost technology, and improves nutrition and sensory profiles of food. Moreover, many media can be used for these types of products: milk, cereals, fruits, roots, or even mixture of these.

Yoghurt

It is well known that yoghurt is the most used medium to incorporate probiotic bacteria in foods.

Ice cream and Dessert

Ice creams are food products that show great potential for use as vehicles for probiotic cultures, with the advantage of being foods consumed by all age groups. Although several factors in their processing stages should be optimized, to maintain the microorganisms in viable doses capable of providing therapeutic activity to consumers, these probiotic cultures usually do not modify significantly the sensory features of ice creams and frozen desserts. It depends on the microorganism and the technological conditions employed to develop the product.

Cheeses

Another medium for probiotic inoculation is cheese. Its versatility offers opportunities for many marketing strategies as a probiotic food carrier. However, the development of probiotic cheeses implies obligatory knowledge of all their processing steps, as well as on their level of influence (positive or negative) on the survival of these microorganisms, sensory acceptance, chemical stability, and microbiological conditions throughout their shelf life. The manufacture of probiotic cheese should have minimum changes when compared to traditional products, which makes the production of functional cheeses favourable.

Other dairy probiotic products

The dairy industry, in particular, regards probiotic cultures as tools for the development of new functional products. Yoghurts and fermented milks are still the main vehicles for incorporation of probiotic cultures. However, new products are being introduced in the international market, such as milk-based desserts, powdered milk for newborn infants, ice cream, butter, mayonnaise, various types of cheese; products in the form of capsules or powders to be dissolved in cold drinks, and

fermented foods of vegetable origin.

Potential

Development of probiotic food is an expensive and multistage process that takes into account many factors, such as sensory acceptance, physical and microbial stability, price, and chemical and other intrinsic functional properties to be successful in the marketplace. Moreover, consumer expectation toward the product also needs to be understood and taken into consideration. Regarding the dairy probiotic products, it has been observed that such foods have been widely explored by industry and by scientific researchers due to their health appeal and continuously increasing demand by consumers. Probiotic functional foods, being one of the largest markets of functional foods, represent a huge growth potential for the food industry and may be explored through the development of innovative ingredients, processes, and products. However, it is a challenge to develop probiotic and other functional foods that can both indulge consumers’ eating desire while also providing potential health benefits.

Some dairy probiotic products developed worldwide

1. Acidophilus milk drink 2. Synbiotic acidophilus milk 3. Regular full-fat yoghurts 4. Low-fat yoghurts 5. Stirred fruit yoghurts 6. Cheddar cheese 7. Acidophilus milk-based ice cream 8. Dahi 9. Mango soy fortified probiotic yoghurt! 10. Probiotic ice cream

UAE’s Food Security Plan & Indi a-UAE Synergy

Sudhakar Tomar, Chairman & Managing Director of UAE’s homegrown US$ 2 Billion Agri & Food multinational Hakan Agro DMCC and President of UAE & India governmentsponsored 'India Middle East Agro Trade Investment & Investment Forum ( IMEA-TIIF), gives an comprehensive overview on UAE's Food Security Plan and India-UAE synergy.

What is the current state of Food Security?

We are far away from being food secure if we go by the technical definition of Food security which is defined as when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Although theoretically enough food is available for 7.8 billion people on the planet; unfortunately Right Food at the Right Time at the Right Place and most importantly at the Right Price is still not available. Almost a billion people suffer from hunger and do not have access to clean drinking water resulting in 35,000 deaths every day. Ironically over 2 billion people suffer from obesity and almost 1.3 billion tonnes of edible food worth US$ 2.6 trillion is wasted which otherwise could feed 3 billion people. Food & Agriculture are a 5 trillion dollar food system essential for our survival. The whole world needs to take some serious steps to fix these global anomalies for a sustainable future.

Is UA E Food secure?

Less than 4% UAE’s land is fit for agriculture and lack of fresh water, intense summer heat, low rainfall and periodic locust swarms pose major challenges to the agriculture. Because

of these problems, UAE considers food security a critical part of homeland security and even has a dedicated Minister of Food Security & Climate Change.

Despite the challenges, UAE features very high in the Global Food Security Index and recently climbed to 21 st position amongst 113 countries. Every year about 14 million tonnes of Food & Beverages is available in UAE from local and imported sources and more than 560 local factories churn up over 6 million tonnes of food products making UAE a food secure place.

How did UA E reach number 21 in Global Food Security Index despite the obvious challenges?

The Global Food Security Index considers the core issues of affordability, availability, and quality across a set of 113 countries. The index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model, constructed from 34 unique indicators. This index examines food security comprehensively across the three internationally established dimensions, namely: affordability, availability & quality and safety. A fourth dimension that is also weighted is natural resources and resilience. Due to the limited supply of arable land, water, and a heavy reliance on imported food, food security has become a key policy priority for the UAE. Despite importing about 90% of its food supplies, the UAE has considered food secure due to its capacity to purchase food on the international market even if at higher costs. However, food security remains a concern, particularly on a long-term basis, due to supply challenges for production and importation.

The degree of any country’s food security is a combination of its natural endowments and its forward-thinking strategies. Even countries that are able to be self-sufficient require strategies that will enable them to withstand acute crises or threats. Any successful food security strategy must incorporate policies that focus on multi-pronged approaches such as, self-sufficiency, trade, resilience, and sustainability. According to the Global Food Security Index (FSI), the five most food-secure countries in the world are

the United States, Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Australia. The UAE was ranked number 31 in 2017 and has jumped to number 21 in 2019. While the United States, Ireland, and Australia have well developed agricultural sectors and an enabling climate, Singapore presents an outlying case. Similar to the UAE, Singapore has limited agricultural land, is reliant on imports, and has insufficient domestic agricultural production. For these reasons, Singapore presents an interesting comparative case for the UAE. A comparison of these countries’ policies gives us insights into best practices that can improve the UAE’s food security strategies and policies. The UAE itself has made substantial investments towards its food security and its benefits from a number of key strengths that have made it food secure. Strong diplomatic and trade relations, easy access to trade markets, and well-functioning trade ports have enabled easy access to food supplies through food import strategies.

What is unique about UA E’s Food Security Policy?

United Arab Emirates has a robust food security vision. There are three components of UAE’s Food Security. 1. National Council for Food Security 2. National Food Security Strategy which wants UAE to become number 1 food secure country in 2051 and 3. A massive ‘Ag-Tech accelerator program with over 50 stakeholders and 10 new Agtech initiatives. Emirates National Food Security Strategy 2051 with an ambitious target to reach within the top 10 by 2021 and numero uno position in 2051 from the current position of 21 in the Global Food Security Index. The strategy has 5 pillars: Firstly UAE will position itself as a global hub for agri-business trade and diversifying its food import sources and secondly increase local production of food multifold by investing heavily in cutting edge ag-technology but without compromising on sustainability and water footprints. Third and a very important strategy is to reduce the food loss and waste at all levels of food supply chain and fourth point is to ensure and enhance food safety and improving nutritional aspects of food consumption. The final and probably most important strategy for an arid and importdependent nation like UAE is to enhance capacity to respond to food security risks and crises. Learning smartly from the food supply shocks in the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2007 UAE has become a shining example of keeping the food supply chains function in the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

What is the role of Emirates Food Security Council?

One-year-old Emirates Food Security Council, chaired by UAE Federal Minister of Food Security & Climate Change HE Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri, is an exemplary initiative of inclusive leadership. This council is made up of members from Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment, Ministry of Energy and Industry, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Ministry of Education, National Emergency and Crisis, Disasters Management Authority and delegates from the local government of each of the seven emirates of the UAE and public & private sector food security advisory committees. An important mandate of this high powered council is set the investment agenda for the food sector, both in the UAE and abroad.

What are the synergies between UA E and India?

The relationship between the UAE and India is one of the success stories of undeniable geopolitical importance.

Although the UAE's commercial relationship with India goes back thousands of years, it has, from five years ago, transformed itself from a traditional trade relationship into a comprehensive strategic partnership.

India is the UAE’s second-largest trade partner with annual trade between India and the UAE crossing $ 59 billion with Indian exports worth $33.3 billion to the UAE and $26 billion worth of UAE’s exports to India. The new goal set by both sides is to boost trade by 60 per cent by 2020 making India - UAE as the largest trade partners. Trade between the UAE and India could be valued at around $100 billion in the next five years. With the food import in the UAE set to reach $400 billion in the coming decade, the UAE government is cognizant of the tangible and practical steps to ensure that any crisis does not lead to any scarcity in food supplies. India as one of the largest exporters of food items is well poised to help UAE meet its food security agenda and attract FDI. Returning the favour UAE significantly contributes to the Indian energy security as India’s sixth-largest supplier of crude oil. Looking ahead, relations between the two countries are expected to become more robust due to the strategic needs of both governments and their commitment to maintaining strong relations. n

Courtesy: www.globoilindia.com

Conve tive Hot Air Drying of Veget bles & Fruits

Pr ocess Op timization

— Dr. Smita Lele, Director, ICT Jalna

All natural agriculture products specially fruits & vegetables contain nearly 90% or more moisture. This moisture content is responsible for spoilage of Fruits & Vegetables. Food dehydration technology helps to reduce this moisture level to 1-5%. Food dehydration is nearly complete removal of water from foods under controlled conditions that cause minimum or ideally no other changes in the food. Thus, dehydration or drying becomes one of the simplest, easy & cheap methods of preservation of food. Examples are dried potato chips, dried milk and eggs, dried peas, chilies, instant coffee and orange juice crystals. Since India is tropical country many sundried products are preserved and subsequently used in meal. Examples of sundried products are Papad, Kurdaya & Sandge. In places like Rajasthan, drying vegetables like Gawar, Okara & its use in off season is very common. Although sun drying is cheap, it is a seasonal process further there is no sun available at night. Alternate sources such as electrical drying, LPG, microwave, etc has to be done in drying plant.

Tray, tunnel, cabinet, fluidized & spray drying are some of the common designs

takes place in the form of convection, conduction & radiation. The best choice of dehydration technology depends on the capacity of the dryer, state of the food (solid or liquid or pieces), raw material cost, energy cost etc. Another interesting thing is generally at the beginning of drying, the rate of water loss is constant and the food surface is always moist and at wet bulb temperature although the convective medium (hot air) may be at much higher temperature. As water from food reduces, the process becomes mass transfer in dehydration technology. controlled and then dry

The best dehydration patches may appear on the process is freeze drying food surface although there (Lyophilization). Sources of is lot of moisture trapped energy are solar, electricity, in the bulk of food. At such infrared & microwave for point maintain sufficient removal of the moisture. rate of drying, controlling Transfer of energy as heat humidity of surrounding air, retaining nutrition & vitamins and colour of food are process challenges. There is significant reduction in mass after dehydration of any fruit or vegetable because of the removal of water so we may get just 10-15% as our final product. Fig. 1: Schematic Convective Drying The simplest

way to compare & assess any drying process or dehydrated product is the Rehydration Ratio. If the weight of sample is A & weight of dehydrated sample is B then the Dehydration Ratio (DR) can be written as:

DR = A/B

If the weight of rehydrated sample is C & dry powder weight sample B then the Rehydration Ratio (RR) can be written as:

RR = C/B

Under ideal conditions if C = A then the dried product is as good as fresh. But except for freeze drying, this is never achieved. As a result there is always some loss of texture, taste, colour and yield in dehydrated products. When it is rehydrated that is putting in hot or normal water, in significant time it has to absorb water & become like its original product. This property that is dehydration ratio & rehydration ratio in combination can be the simplest way to assess it. For example when 100 g sample becomes 10 g on drying so dehydration ratio is 10. 10 g of that dehydrated powder when put in water, it will again absorb 90 g of water & becomes 100 g so the rehydration ratio is also 10. Under ideal situation both these ratios should be equal which will never happen. In practice dehydration ratio is always more than rehydration ratio and RR is always less because on rehydration sample never absorb same water, it generally absorb less. We use this simple technique many times to assess the overall efficacy of the process condition or the dehydration technology. Another parameter of assessment of dried product is colour that could be measured using Hunter values expressed as L, a, b scale measures. Colour in units of approximate visual uniformity throughout the solids. L measures lightness and varies from 100 for perfect white to zero for black; a measures redness when positive and greenness when negative; and b measures yellowness when positive and blueness when negative. The total colour difference (∆E) was defined using the Minolta equation as follows:

∆E = √ (L-L 0 ) 2 + (a-a 0 ) 2 + (b-b 0 ) 2 Fig. 2: Schematic of laboratory hot air Tray dryer Convective dryers are very common in industrial food drying. Firstly, water evaporates from the surface of food material, and the subsequent moisture removal from the inner regions of raw material is driven by a moisture concentration gradient. Tray dryers are one type of batch dryer which commonly used in the small & pilot scale industries. Continuous dryers, on the other hand are common to large volume product industries.

Tray drying benefits over spray drying:

l No loss in colour, flavour & vitamins. l No Malto-dextrin or other starch additive - spray dried powder may have 30 to 50% maltodextrin. l No lump formation while mixing, blending, rehydration. l Easy dehydration of stickier, viscous food containing lot of sugar

In order to use drying techniques as a commercially sustainable technology & business model there are many challenges. To name some - Retention of nutrition,

1: Air inlet; 2: Air exhaust; 3: Heaters; 4: Blowers; 5: Drying chamber fitted with trays; 6: Trays; 7: Exhaust air recycle passage

vitamins, retention of colour, Good texture on rehydration etc. Customer does not understand material balance is commercial challenge. When 20 kg vegetable dehydrated in the Tray Dryer with minimum heating to retain vitamins, only 1 kg vegetable flex/ powder is obtained. When we consume 5 g (half tea-spoon) of this vegetable powder, it is equal to 100 g fresh vegetable (1 Katori full). Unfortunately, the consumers do not understand this material balance and hence perceives that the dehydrated fruits and vegetables are too expensive. Raising finance is one of the important challenges as bank doesn’t give loan to the farmers. Marketing of dehydrated product - is yet another challenge.

Consumption of fuel or energy is the main cost factor so development of energy saving measures has become necessary. Process optimization is one of the important way be which we can conserve energy & also quality of product.

Case Study 1: Dehydration of Beetroot

While Dehydration of beet roots the main challenge is retention of red colour. It contains betalain which is thermally stable but not over sensitive. Sometimes pH dependent as all the colours is pH dependent. Sometimes it becomes brown. We want it as like that of freeze drying.

Initially, when moisture content is high the rate of drying is fast and later the rate of drying is reduced. Starchy product may have due to case hardening problem which may stop drying process in spite of presence of internal moisture due to polymeric layer at the surface of potato or carrot dice. In constant drying rate period, the sample is saturated with moisture evaporation and the temperature of sample cannot rise. But when moisture decreases and all the surface moisture is evaporated, heat transferred to the sample is used for moisture evaporation as well as increasing the temperature of the sample. But as heat capacity of the sample is very high compared

Drying Temperature T ime Quality of the dried sample (colour values and rehydration ratio)

120 0 C 2 h Decreases

50 0 C 6 h

Maximum colour retention & rehydration ratio Sequential temperature 4 h Lower batch times (indirect benefits of reduced energy gradient (120 0 C to 50 0 C) consumption and higher throughput) and maximum colour retention

Table 1: Quality assessment of dried sample with different drying temperature

to air, sample temperature never reaches very close to air temperature. Because of this, during the temperature gradient, the temperature of sample never exceeds 40 0 C. Therefore, starting with 120 0 C of the temperature and sequentially lowering it to 50 0 C successfully lower the batch time resulting in good colour retention. During constant rate drying period, even at high drying temperatures, temperature of sample hardly goes above 40 0 C as explained earlier. However, in the falling rate drying period the temperature of the sample increases to about 72 0 C for drying temperature of 120 0 C and remains at about 40 0 C at a lower drying temperature of 50 0 C; this explains the higher food pigment degradation at higher temperatures.

The rehydration ratio decreases as the drying temperature increase. It may be due to porous structure of the sample being slightly better at 50 0 C, where drying rate is lower than that of

the sample dried at 120 0 C. Lower drying temperatures require much longer drying temperatures require much longer time (6 h for 50 0 C) than drying at high temperatures (2 h for 120 0 C). But sequential temperature gradient decreases drying time to 4 h; with final colour values and rehydration ratio same as that of 50 0 C ultimately conserve energy.

Case Study 2: Dehydration of Arvi

Post harvest losses in Arvi are more that is 90% in 6 month. Producing flour from Arvi for its storage & to reduce its losses is important aspect. It is starch robust but case hardening was the challenge for its dehydration. Fresh arvi dehydrated with different parameters like temperature, recirculation ratio & slice thickness with convective hot air tray drying. Here, study showed the temperature and sample thickness affects significantly on the average drying rate, final moisture content and total colour difference. Whereas all three parameters like temperature, degree of recirculation & sample thickness affects on the rehydration ratio.

Case Study 3: Dehydration of Passion Fruit

Passion fruit is rich source of vitamin C & antioxidant. It is very sensitive so challenge was retention of its flavour during its dehydration. Freezing is common method for its preservation but it is very expensive. Other methods like vacuum drying cause high losses of ascorbic acid, carotenoid & its flavour. Spray drying can also used but use of Matodextrin as a carrier & high temperature causes loss of colour & flavour.

To overcome the problems associated with other drying methods, foam mat drying can be used. In this method, thin pulp is converted into stable foam by whipping after the addition of edible foaming agent. It increases surface area, and subsequently higher drying rates which yield dried powder of acceptable quality in reduced time span of drying process. It has been found that use of foaming agent helps in fast removal of inner bound moisture to the surface by capillary action, resulting in extremely porous drying mass which is more amenable to drying to its inner most layers (higher drying rate at lower temperature). This helped in faster drying of Passion fruit by continuous movement of moisture from inner core to the surface of foam and hence showed decrease in the time required for drying.

The amount of colour variation is more in samples dried at higher temperature (70-80 0 C) than at lower the temperature (50-60 0 C) mainly due to degradation of heat sensitive colouring compounds in the sample. As drying temperature increases, total colour difference and rehydration ratio decreases, whereas non-enzymatic browning index, total phenolic content, and total antioxidant activity increases that attributes to inhibition of oxidative enzymes and biochemical changes. Reduction in the lightness (L) and yellowness (b) of the samples, rehydration ratio are directly correlated with increase in drying temperature.

Rehydration ratio

Per 100 gm

Energy (Kcal) Protein (gm) Carbohydrate (gm) Fat (gm) Saturated fat (gm) Trans fat Cholesterol (mg) Vitamin A (IU) Vitamin C (mg) Calcium (mg) Iron (mg) Sodium (mg) Total Dietary Fibre

JUST PALA SI P K

319.62 12.29 64.57 1.413 0.41 0 0 2111.4 12.71 54.51 10.25 4250 13.11

Brand 1 - VEG SOU P

360 10 61 8.2 3.8 0.8 0.001 Traces Traces - - 5370 -

Brand 2 - MIX VEG

318 9 56.3 6.3 3.1 0.1 6 Traces Traces - - - -

Brand 3 - Chinese Style MIX VEG 14.4 0.3 3.3 0 0 0 0 63.6 0.7 80.3 - - -

Table 2: Just sip Drinking vegetable premix, comparison with market brands

Comments wrt Justsip Drinking Vegetable Premix Comparable Highest Comparable Low NIL NIL NIL V. V. High High High High High (natural) V. High

decreases as drying temperature increases. This may be due to porous structure of the sample being slightly better at 60 0 C, where drying rate is lower than that of sample dried at 80 0 C.

Process optimization of more sustainable and efficient industrial dehydration technologies in the food sector can help in the achievement of short/ medium-term energy reduction goals. Sequential reduction in temperature reduces batch which indirectly reduces, energy consumption with maintaining quality of product. In the Foam MatTray Drying the sample becomes porous & extremely amenable to drying to its innermost layer. It reduces batch time & lowers the

drying temperature, which ultimately conserve energy.

Success Story of Start-up mentoring and nurturing:

Rajeev Gandhi Science and Technology Commission (RGSTC), Maharashtra State Government supported a project for developing nutritious products from dehydrated vegetables and demo plant was set up with 100 kg batch of vegetables in an electrical tray dryer. Alternate energy sources such as LPG, solar indirect drying were also tried. The products developed are not just soup premix but it is called drinking vegetables. Five different vegetables of 5 different colours have been used in the premixes. Trade mark Justsip is registered. Now it has resulted into a small scale start up Trilok Food India, Satara. Some of the USPs are: l No preservatives, no chemicals, no MSG l Products having shelf life 12 to 18 months @ Rs. 90- 120 for 300 g l Processing vegetables from 200 acres of farmland l 100% natural, nutritionally rich products with a homely appeal l Products rich in protein, fibre, minerals & vitamins l GREEN Technology with zero waste and zero pollution Some products such as Justsip brand raw doodhi powder with spices are very popular in Pune and Satara market. Products are also available

on Amazon. Currently the company makes few tonnes per month and has signed positive agreements with over 200 farmers for supply of doodhi, palak, carrot, chilies etc. The farmers are offered assured price in spite of market drop in price. But if for some period, the farmer is likely to get more price than the contract value, then he has no obligation to supply the raw vegetables to Trilok and he is free to sell it in open market and make some more money. To the best of knowledge, no one in the country has signed such positive unidirectional agreement with farmers taking into account their welfare!!! n E-mail: dr.smita.lele@gmail.com